 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey guys,
I am just curious about getting a ski helmet with a built in visor.
I currently use SMITH IO7 goggles with a cheap helmet that I bought from Go Outdoors a long time ago. The problem is the gap around my goggles and forehead so I always have this blisteringly cold forehead and its just a bit of a pain in the butt trying to get those headscarfes in the right position, then they get irritating, and I just feel that its just a bit awkward.
I see a lot of people now with these clever helmets where you can just flip the visor up and down and its all one unit.
I looked on smith and it looks like their helmets fit perfectly with the goggles so obviously there is no gap. I wonder if I should get a smith helmet or just get one of these visor ones.
Does anyone use them? What brand or model do you personally recommend? Glissop and Bolle seem to have the biggest range, although I have always been a fan on Salomon.
https://www.glisshop.co.uk/accessories/helmet/
https://www.bolle.com/gb/categorie?id=27
Note: I LOVE my IO7 goggles but I seem to get them out of the box and within 5 seconds it has a scratch on. The lenses cost £50 to replace! AAAAAA!
I genuinely have no clue!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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They don't suite everyone, so better go and try them on. I personally look like a complete clown in those that I have tried so far.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I think that's two separate things.
(1) I'd find a shop and try helmet/ goggle combinations until you get one which works the way you want. It's possible/ easy. Using stuff from the same manufacturer is more likely to work.
(2) I have used a built-in visor helmet but I found that in "blower" powder I'd get snow coming up under the visor. For me they don't work for this reason.
The odd scratch on goggles may not be visible to the wearer.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have a friend who swears by them, but that's because he wears glasses, and it so much easier than wearing goggles
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I'd be worried* about the repercussions of a face plant.
*on behalf of a friend 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Take goggles into shop - buy compatible helmet
Problem solved.
I wouldn't buy a visor helmet myself because incomplete seal, faceplants, scratches from general handling.
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Thank you for the advice! I will try some on when I go home for Xmas!
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I tried the ones that decathlon has and found the fit poor ..the visor wouldn't come down properly ..I have friend who bought some the season before last and she swears by them ..but she does wear glasses and they are photo-chromatic and expensive
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Dave which one did they get which is photo-chromic
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Have had lots of different combinations of goggles and helmets over the years and have never found the perfect fit - always seem to end up at the end of the day with goggle marks on my face from the pressure not being quite right. I've tried expensive brands, different shapes, loosening goggles, special 'dial' fit helmets, helmets where the goggles sit in grooves or at different angles etc etc and still the same problem to a greater or lesser extent.
Despite the fact that people say you're in danger of looking like the Stig, I bought a helmet with a visor last year and I find it way more comfortable. I did some research and bought one with different colour visors for varying conditions - I can't remember the make and it's sitting in our cave in France so can't find out but for me it's been a good decision.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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HMR helmets do a full range. Not cheap but very good. Used one for about 7/8 years now
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| ........... scratches from general handling........ |
This. Be prepared to spend a lot on replacement lenses.
I don't have one, but friends that do have told me 
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Last year I was in Kronplatz in February and it was -20 and my head and face were freezing in my old Giro Helmet, decided to buy a new helmet in the ski shop at the lift base .They were selling an Italian make called Slokker with the visor built in.I had always made fun of people with them before but never again ,helmet is well vented when you need it and super cosy when it’s cold,didn’t have any problems with wind coming under the visor and pushed it up and used my sunglasses when It was sunny.Not cheap though.
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You know it makes sense.
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We have ordered visor helmets for our 7 and 4 yo kids in the hope that its a more comfortable experience for them. To date goggles always end up dangling behind helmets as they always try to place them on top of helmet instead of face; and one less item to try to locate in the morning rush.
I have seen that Head make a decent looking adult visor helmet.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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My wife has a visor helmet (Italian "V something") but she is a fair weather skier, wears glasses & doesn't like goggles so two big upticks and the blowing snow downtick isn't relevant. Managed to find compatible replacement visors for €15 in a cheap backstreet ski shop too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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My son has been using a visor helmet for nearly 2 years and has only one minor scratch (probably 40-50 days skiing). If a 10-11 year old kid can keep it scratch free then I don’t see why adults can’t do the same.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to try them on ideally or be prepared to pay return fees.
I have a CEBE Fireball - it wasnt my 1st choice (However it did come with 2 lenses which was a bonus grey & yellow), but my 1st & 2nd choices did not fit correctly.
Amazon has a good range of helmets also & probably cheaper returns (since its done online you can say the item is faulty & return for free 'o) )
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I am on my 3rd helmet in 3 years... First two lasted me a very short time because I could not make the goggles fit. They have to go "into" the helmet but not push down onto the bridge of your nose too hard, and maybe my nose goes too high up 
Then I got the Bolle Backline, at some ski shop in Switzerland, paying over €200 for it (I see it for £150 or so on amazon.co.uk now) and it is great. Warm and comfy.
However I rarely use the visor. The optical quality is just not that great and often, especially if the light is not that good, I find it hard to see properly. I use it only if it is actually snowing, but then skiing is not so enjoyable (or not at all) anyway.
The complication is if you need prescription glasses.
I have distance, plus reading inserts (for using the phone for messages and emails). With goggles, it is easy enough to get single prescription lenses; the commonly sold clip-in lens frame is about £30. Or you can pay £250+ to Oakley for a proper solution. But I don't think you can have reading inserts in these.
So I got fairly pricey sunglasses made, exactly what I need, based on a Julbo sunglasses frame and with prescription lenses. Total cost about £200 of which the sunglasses were about £80. The leather side bits keep the wind out and to some extent even keep snow out, while keeping them ventilated. Optically they are great because they have proper lenses with antireflection coatings etc. You just end up with the "KGB assassin" look
The final problem, which I have not really solved, is that if you pull down the visor while skiing, you can catch the sunglasses and mess up where they sit, which could be dangerous. So one has to stop and do it.
I don't think there is any way to incorporate prescription lenses into a visor.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Another vote for Belle Backline with visor. My wife and I both use them, as we wear glasses. Very warm and comfy, no issue with powder leakage, although minor problems with steaming up very occasionally.
If you use a GoPro, make sure you fit the top bracket with the visor in the up position!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have used a CP visor helmet for last 3 seasons. Absolutely love not having to use goggles. I do keep a pair handy in case of a super powdery day, but you know they don't happen that often alas, even then I just keep goggles in backpack and have never needed to switch.
I am however looking to replace my visor(s) this season due to scratchin (not bad after 3 years), but cost looks about what I would have paid for new goggles anyway.
http://www.cp-fashionatsports.com/en/helmets/overview-201819/
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I have a Bolle for some seasons now which has both a yellow and a black visor.
The good:
Damn comfortable.
Flip up / flip down in the ride as visibility changes.
Easy to use with prescription glasses.
The visor does not fog up and usually the glasses don't either (unless you bend over to your boots or pull your buff / skimask over your nose).
Easy to mount a helmet cam using a glue-on rather than strap-on.
The bad:
If you go fast the airflow will whistle.
If you are on the lift on a very cold day, you will feel the cold seep in through the narrow gap between the top of the visor and the helmet.
If you choose the wrong visor for the day, you will end up too little visibility or too much snow glare.
I look like robocop when the black lens is attached.
I bought it because I had to wear prescription glasses being severly myopic and never found a decent helmet-goggle combination that really worked for me. Never had a complaint.
This year, however, will be interesting as I had cataract surgery and toric lens replacement in the off-season, so no need for glasses. I'll see if the visor helmet still works well for me now.
The Bolle is great overall, but I am not so sure about some of the other ones I am seeing on the market. Some of them seen to have the visor attached and it cannto be changed.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Last season I splashed out on a visor helmet, at slight risk of looking a bit Russian. And no, I don't wear glasses.
Turned out to one one of the best things I ever did. Now my wife wants one.
No gap, no draft - that's a complete myth; you can adjust the "tightness" of the fit on go, with one hand. Loose for warm conditions, tight for cold. Brilliant. Photochromic lens is the way to go.
I bet that within 10 years goggles will look as antiquated on skiers as they are motorbikers. (No harm in that - but a minority thing; each to their own.) Once helmets became the norm for biking, there was no reasonable excuse for googles. Same with skiing.
V unusual for me to be ahead of the curve in anything - let alone fashion - so please let me wallow this once!
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Wasnt there a visor thread a few months ago?
Main reason I went the visor route was because of the view of field. I could never find goggles that did not restict my field of vision & ended up giving me tunnel vision.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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wow I must be lucky, I walked into decathlon & tried theirs on, prefect fit (it was the dearer of the 3 models they do but still only £65). it comes with a sun visor so you have to buy the flat light one £15.
I wear rather large prescription glasses so have never had the need to wear googles durnign non snow days as glasses keep the wind out & if I do need to pull the visor down the decathlon was the only one I found that would clear my glasses with out major holding required.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| mitcva wrote: |
Last season I splashed out on a visor helmet, at slight risk of looking a bit Russian. And no, I don't wear glasses.
Turned out to one one of the best things I ever did. Now my wife wants one.
No gap, no draft - that's a complete myth; you can adjust the "tightness" of the fit on go, with one hand. Loose for warm conditions, tight for cold. Brilliant. Photochromic lens is the way to go.
I bet that within 10 years goggles will look as antiquated on skiers as they are motorbikers. (No harm in that - but a minority thing; each to their own.) Once helmets became the norm for biking, there was no reasonable excuse for googles. Same with skiing.
V unusual for me to be ahead of the curve in anything - let alone fashion - so please let me wallow this once! |
Which one did you buy?!
Someone mentioned earlier about this https://www.julbo.com/en_gb/helmets/sphere#216=189&318=3564 photochromic one.
I am absolutely set on getting a photochromic one as one of my biggest nightmares skiing is changing the lenses to the light conditions. We always go in Jan and I am sick of it being clear sun one day then white out dark conditions the next. Very unpredictable.
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| Quote: |
Which one did you buy?!
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Slokker. V good value.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| DaveD wrote: |
| http://www.cranberrywebdesign.co.uk/slokker-balo-ski-helmet-blue-with-photochromic-and-polarising-visor-b01n8ol2ch-p-6102.html good price here...I might consider one |
I would be weary of any site that does not have its contact details on its website
also quick look at shipping (again another red flag - we dont use 'shipping' in the uk as an expression for postage)
1. International shipping is handled by Air INTERNATIONAL EMS Express Company, within about one week time delivery usually.
The the usual illegal activities
all returned items are subject to a 20% restocking fee. Shipping and handling charges are non-refundable.
enjoy losing your money
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Poster: A snowHead
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I bought mine on site, in Obergurgl, but I believe there are some UK distributors. (Made in Italy.)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| ysb33r wrote: |
I have a Bolle for some seasons now which has both a yellow and a black visor.
The good:
Damn comfortable.
Flip up / flip down in the ride as visibility changes.
Easy to use with prescription glasses.
The visor does not fog up and usually the glasses don't either (unless you bend over to your boots or pull your buff / skimask over your nose).
Easy to mount a helmet cam using a glue-on rather than strap-on.
The bad:
If you go fast the airflow will whistle.
If you are on the lift on a very cold day, you will feel the cold seep in through the narrow gap between the top of the visor and the helmet.
If you choose the wrong visor for the day, you will end up too little visibility or too much snow glare.
I look like robocop when the black lens is attached.
I bought it because I had to wear prescription glasses being severly myopic and never found a decent helmet-goggle combination that really worked for me. Never had a complaint.
This year, however, will be interesting as I had cataract surgery and toric lens replacement in the off-season, so no need for glasses. I'll see if the visor helmet still works well for me now.
The Bolle is great overall, but I am not so sure about some of the other ones I am seeing on the market. Some of them seen to have the visor attached and it cannto be changed. |
As the post above I have had a Sinner Crystal for a couple of years, I don't wear glasses and pretty well agree with what you say
The good:
Damn comfortable. Definitely, and light too.
Flip up / flip down in the ride as visibility changes. Yes, and mine has a relatively light lens so if super bright sun can wear sunglasses as well.
Easy to use with prescription glasses.
The visor does not fog up and usually the glasses don't either (unless you bend over to your boots or pull your buff / skimask over your nose).
Easy to mount a helmet cam using a glue-on rather than strap-on.
The bad:
[list]If you go fast the airflow will whistle. Same
If you are on the lift on a very cold day, you will feel the cold seep in through the narrow gap between the top of the visor and the helmet. Same
If you choose the wrong visor for the day, you will end up too little visibility or too much snow glare. Agreed, but you can use the sunglasses solution if too light.
I look like robocop when the black lens is attached. My kids have had various descriptions of how I look  but at the end of the day, do I care. No.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| ysb33r wrote: |
Flip up / flip down in the ride as visibility changes.
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If you are not wearing glasses, and flip up the visor, then you have no uv filter protecting your eyes. Sounds like a potential recipe for snow blindness? Or am I missing something?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| mgrolf wrote: |
| ysb33r wrote: |
Flip up / flip down in the ride as visibility changes.
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If you are not wearing glasses, and flip up the visor, then you have no uv filter protecting your eyes. Sounds like a potential recipe for snow blindness? Or am I missing something? |
Yes, you need to keep that in mind too. When I wrote that I had flatlight days in mind.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sorry to keep bringing this topic back from the dead...
I just wanted to mention that I have a big thing for Salomon gear. I just always think they are well thought out.
My dad has a Salomon helmet and uses separate goggles. The helmet has that little air pump thingy to adjust it and I can honestly say it is the MOST comfortable helmet in the world.
Has anyone got anything to say regarding this one?
https://www.salomon.com/en-gb/shop-emea/product/driver-photo.html#848=10092
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@Sainter, I've just bought one of these, great fit and works over glasses well. Not tried it on the hill yet, how did you get on with it and was it the photochromic one you got, if you got one that is
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FAQ
Since I only paid £17 for the whole thing in an 
